Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2020-79
| Common name: |
McCown's Longspur [Now Thick-billed Longspur] |
| Scientific name: | Rhynchophanes mccownii |
| Date: | Dec 14, 2020 |
| Time: | 15:00 |
| Length of time observed: | 2 minutes |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Adult |
| Sex: | Unknown |
| Location: | Harold Crane WMA |
| County: | Weber |
| Latilong: | 41.314017 112.192787 |
| Elevation: | 4214 |
| Distance to bird: | 30 yards |
| Optical equipment: | 60 mm scope w/18-40x zoom |
| Weather: | Sunny, cold, fresh patchy snow |
| Light Conditions: | Bright |
| Description: Size of bird: | Sparrow-sized |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | Passerine |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | Streaky and bland |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | Conical |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
Small pale conical bill smaller in proportion to head than nearby Lapland Longspur's bill to head. Bland pale face with wide beige supercilium; no warm or golden tones or dark markings on face, particularly auriculars not outlined. Rusty wing bar visible in profile view. Lower body not seen as bird was hunkering down in pickleweed as it fed, more obscured than Lapland Longspur in the same view. Turned toward me once and showed dull streaked crown and striking but irregular black bib visible. Tail pattern not seen. |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | None heard. |
| Behavior: | Foraging in pickleweed on expansive playa with Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs. This bird appeared to hunker down in the pickleweed deeper than a Lapland in the same view or Horned Larks all around; consequently, I never saw the belly or tail. Flushed after this short observation; flocks very flighty, as usual. |
| Habitat: | Playa |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Combination of bland pale face, rusty wing bar and irregular black bib eliminate the other three longspur species and Horned Larks. While some sparrow species have rusty wing bars or shoulder patches, none also have a small pale bill, a black bib or the extent of bland low-contrast head markings this bird showed. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
MCLO seen twice in Utah; records 2010-03 and likely the birds in the 2017-72-series records |
| References consulted: | Sibley |
| Description from: | From memory |
| Observer: | Kristin M. Purdy |
| Observer's address: | Ogden |
| Observer's e-mail address: | ** |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: |
Audible report by Kendall Watkins and Quinn Diaz on 12/6/2020 in eBird
checklist:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S77160813 Audible report by Lauri Taylor and Vivian Schneggenburger on 12/7/2020 in eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S77211869 Audible report on 12/07/2020 by David Wheeler in eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S77217169 |
| Date prepared: | Dec 14, 2020 |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: |